THIS WEEK: Minot State will have a big test ahead if the Beavers are to extend their three-game winning streak as MSU travels to Northern State Friday at 8 p.m. and to No. 4 ranked Minnesota State University Moorhead Saturday at 6 p.m.

RECORDS: The Beavers enter the weekend with a 7-7 overall record and 2-6 in NSIC play. MSU is seventh overall in the NSIC North Division. Northern State is currently fourth in the NSIC North with a 3-5 record in conference and a 7-7 overall. NSIC North leader MSUM is 8-0 in league play and 16-1 overall.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Matt Murken is in his fourth season as head coach of the Beavers. He's compiled a 39-58 record during his first two seasons with Minot State and is 85-74 throughout his six year head coaching career. In his first season with the MSU, Murken increased the Beavers' win total by six from the previous year including the program's first ever win against a NCAA Division II ranked opponent (68-62, No. 19 St. Cloud State, Jan. 5, 2012). Before his time at Minot State, Murken was the head coach at the University of Jamestown where he compiled and impressive 46-16 overall record and was named Dakota Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012. Northern State's head coach Paul Sather is 93-65 at NSU and is 187-127 overall. Sather, a NSU graduate, is 7-0 against MSU with the Wolves and is 13-5 overall. Chad Walthall has built MSU Moorhead into a regional powerhouse in his six seasons with the Dragons, coming into the weekend with a 124-46 record.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at kcjb.com. MSU provides live video – with Leif Bakken serving as the play-by-play announcer – and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: Minnesota State Moorhead has moved all the way up to No. 4 in the latest NABC Division II Top 25 coaches' poll. The Dragons are the top ranked in the D2SIDA Division II Central Region Poll as well. MSU and NSU were not ranked in either poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State got into the win column in NSIC play, winning a close game with Bemidji State, 77-74, and earned their first NSIC winning streak with a 78-55 win over Minnesota Crookston. Tyler Rudolph (So., F, Bismarck, N.D.) scored 17 points in each game and Chris Davis (Sr., G, Colorado Springs, Colo.) joined him in the win over the Golden Eagles. Northern State split a pair of road games to start the 2016, winning 68-64 at Winona State but falling 89-81 at Upper Iowa. Skye Warwick scored 19 at WSU, while Darin Peterka had a solid night against the Peacocks with 18 points and six rebounds. MSU Moorhead continued to cruise as they destroyed Upper Iowa 105-85 and then followed that up with an impressive 93-72 at WSU. Isaac Sevlie also continued to roll with 23 and 25 points respectively in the two wins.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: Minot State has struggled historically with both programs both as an NSIC member and an NAIA program. The Beavers have won just nine games in 32 games against MSU-Moorhead and has only seven wins in 39 games against Northern State. MSU has not defeated either team since joining the Northern Sun four seasons ago.

LAST TIME OUT: The Beavers pushed both teams at home in December, falling 75-63 to MSUM Friday and 87-80 NSU Saturday. The Saturday game started a stretch for the Beavers where they lost four NSIC games by a total of 11 points. Chris Davis (Sr., G, Colorado Springs, Colo.) had a breakout game against MSU Moorhead, scoring 23 points. The Dragons countered with 18 by Tanner Kretchman. Tyler Rudolph (So., F, Bismarck, N.D.) had the hot hand Saturday against the Wolves as he finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. NSU's Carter Evans nearly finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and finishing with nine rebounds in the win.

NOTING THE WOLVES: Northern State has had six different players lead them in scoring over the first 14 games, but Darin Peterka has paced the Wolves in five of the past seven games… Peterka and Skye Warwick lead the team in scoring as both have scored over 200 points on the season. Peterka averages 15.2 points per game and Warwick is right behind at 14.6… The Wolves lead the Northern Sun with an average of 2,555 fans. NSU led the country in attendance last season…  The Wolves have been very good on offense, but earned grind out win over Winona State, holding the Warriors to just 27 points in the second half… NSU has solid offensive balance as they have seven players averaging 7.5 points or better… Carter Evans leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 and has 66 offensive boards.

NOTING THE DRAGONS: Minnesota State University Moorhead has raced out to 16 wins this season, sporting a 16-game win streak after dropping the season opener 84-80 in overtime against California Baptist… Since being held to just 75 points at Minot State in December, the Dragons have averaged 93.5 since. They set a record with 126 points against Crossroads College in nonconference play… Isaac Sevlie has emerged as one of the top players in the country as he averages 21.1 points and 7.5 rebounds with 27 blocks on the season. He has hit 129 of 206 shots from the floor for 62.6 percent and has hit 100 free throws… The Dragons can score from multiple spots on the court as six players hit for 8.9 per game and four Dragons average double figures… Tanner Kretchman moved into second on his team in scoring with a 12.2 average… Aaron Lien and Kretchman both hit better than 86 percent of their free throws, combining for 75 of 87 from the line… Five Dragons have knocked down 22 or more 3-pointers on the season.

ASSISTING OTHERS: Three different Beavers have dished out 40 or more assists this season as Luis Ricci Maia (So., G, Franca, Sao Paulo, Brazil) paced MSU with 48. Close behind is senior Dominique McDonald (G, Raleigh, N.C.) who has 45 on the season and 351 in his career. Nathan Mertens (Jr., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) isn't too far behind as well, coming in with 40 assists and just 16 turnovers.

DANGEROUS DAVIS: After shrugging off a slow start, senior Chris Davis (G, Colorado Springs, Colo.) has found his shooting mark, knocking down 26 of his team-leading 29 3-pointers over his last eight games. He pushed his season scoring average from 3.8 after the month of November, to 8.6 coming into the weekend. He has also pushed his 3-point shooting percentage up to 42.6, tops on the team.

RUDY-RIFFIC: MSU sophomore Tyler Rudolph (F, Bismarck, N.D.) hasn't slowed down all season, coming into the weekend with a 16.9 scoring average and an 8.2 rebounding average. He is eighth in the league in scoring and second in the NSIC in rebounding. During the season, he has scored in double figures in all 14 games and has been held  below five rebounds just once, sporting five double-doubles.

BRINGING BALANCE TO THE BEAVERS FORCE: Minot State has upped its scoring average to 74.6 on the season and its shooting percentage to 43.8 as the Beavers have found solid scoring balance. With the return of Michael Pelo (Sr., G, Charleston, Utah), the Beavers have six players averaging at least 8.6 per game. Winston Williams (Sr., G, Plainfield, Ill.) joins Rudolph in double figures with a 10.2 average, with Pelo scoring nine a game over his first three games.

SCORING FROM SIX 

Player	Scoring Average
Tyler Rudolph	16.9
Winston Williams	10.2
Michael Pelo	9.0
Nathan Mertens	8.7
Chris Davis	8.6
Dominique McDonald	8.6

       
HELLO PELO: MSU senior Michael Pelo (G, Charleston, Utah) made a significant contribution in his first action this season. After sitting out the first semester due to NCAA 10-semester rule, Pelo hit 6 of 10 3-pointers on the weekend and scored double figures in both games. He was 3 for 3 with 11 points, a rebound and a blocked shot in 10 minutes against BSU and scored 12 points in 11 minutes in the win over Minnesota Crookston.

BY THE NUMBERS

4: Points for Channing Reed (Jr., F, Belcourt, N.D.) in just three minutes of play. Reed made his Beavers' debut since redshirting last season in the win over UMC.

11.6: Turnovers per game averaged by Minot State. MSU has been stellar taking care of the ball all season, committing just 163 total turnovers and dishing out 186 assists.

947: Points for senior Dominique McDonald (G, Raleigh, N.C.) for his career. He needs just 53 points to become the 15 th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.